by Abdi-Noor Mohamed
Thursday, April 15, 2010
As we know Somali Islamist insurgents have banned all types of music and forced radio stations in the areas of control to either abide by the new law or just quit. I write this to express my deep displeasure over these measures to frustrate freedom of expression. Freedom of speech is under fire in many parts of Somalia but the south is the riskiest area to work as a journalist or an activist. Freedom of expression is a force that can dismantle evil if it attains the necessary environment to function and that is why Somalia is famous in eliminating or silencing voices of change.
Change?
Be careful of this virus
It can destroy our empire
When you see it conceived
Make it suffer in the womb
Beware of seeds of change
When you see them planted
Deny them to germinate
Target the agents of change
Brand them as spies and traitors
Call them enemy collaborators
Like abandoned eggs
Let them rot in the soil
Change?
Be careful of this virus
It can destroy our empire
Once a revolution is born
It will spread everywhere
It is like fire in the bush
You can never contain it
Be alert, be vigilant boy
Keep eye on creeping shadows
Change?
Be careful of this virus
It can destroy our empire
Kill the human rights defenders
Kill the journalists
Kill the activists
Kill them all
Kill them without hesitation
But be not hard with them
Just shoot them in the head
Let them pass away in peace
They wrote with utter impunity
But we shoot with due respect
One must be polite in his killings
Once freedom of expression leaves us
We shall live in a freedom of shooting
How nice to see no pen at work
No word in print no voice on air
Nothing Nothing Nothing
When bullet is the pen blood is the ink
Abdi-Noor Mohamed
Writer and Film maker
Växjo University (student)
Sweden
[email protected]